October 2025 by TheForestermag

What is it About Owls?

byCarolynConeWeaverandVivianandDavidKraines

Whatisitaboutowls?Youmightnotknowthey’re commonoutside TheForest at Duke. In fact, I saw a young barred owl on a neighbor’s balcony last summer. But there’s one owl, right here inside TFAD, that mesmerizes me with his hollow, hypnoticeyes.(Let’scallhimHallOwl.)

Before Hall Owl came to TFAD with Vivian and David Kraines, the wall outside apartment 3003 was blank, invisible to me whenever I walked by. Then one day there he was, flanked by classic, Chinese hanging scrolls embellished with mountains, forests, and waterfalls. Now, this steely creature greets me every day: Whoooo are you? he asks. Better yet, I say, Whoooo are you?

I had to find out about that seductive, metallic bird of prey and about the lustrous silver and black scrolls on either side. Surely Vivian and David Kraines are responsible for the elegant display, but where did they find thesetreasures?Theygraciouslyagreedtoenlighten me, and I realized that there was more to this storythanoneowlandtwoscrolls.

Did you know that an owl is considered a Guardian of Knowledge? And a group of owls is called a Parliament? I didn’t, until a parliament of fortyowlsgreetedmewhenIvisitedtheKraineses. These forty owls were originally members of the couple’sparliamentofaboutseventy-five.

TheKraines’scollectionis,inaway,astory of their lives together. They met in class in Berkeley, married a few years later, and received their doctorates in math. They’ve lived in Cambridge, Philadelphia, and Denmark before moving to Durhamin1971.Sincethen,they’vespentsabbati-

cal terms at universities in the United States and Canadaandtraveledextensively,collectingowlfigurinesalongtheway.

VivianandDavid’sapartmentisacomfortable home gallery. The art arranged in their living/ diningareaspanstheglobeandincludesarangeof styles and media. Paintings and family photographs grace the walls, and figurines from around the world enhance the teak and rosewood cabinets. Incredibly intricate ivory carvings, which would be impossible to acquire today, stand in a displaycase.Andthosefortyowls?Ranginginsize betweenateenyhalf-inchjadeowlettoseveninchestall,they’vetakenupresidenceacrosstheroom. The couple doesn’t remember which of theirparliamentofseventy-fiveowlswasthefirst, but they do remember they bought it on a trip to Vancouver BC, in the late 1990s. Vivian says she “identifies” with owls. “It’s their eyes” that captivateher,andeversince,whetherontheirsabbaticalsorvacations,owlshavetemptedtheKraineses intoaddingmoretotheirparliament.“Almosteverywhere we go,” Vivian says, “we can find owls.” The couple emphasizes their collection was not planned.Rather,theitemsareobjectstheyconsidered “unusual” as well as happy reminders of the places they’ve visited and lived.

While sitting in the Kraines’s living room I felt an eerie presence eyeing me. It hadtobeowleyes,fixingmein their inscrutable gaze, and this tough-looking bird, a white stone owl, measuring fourteen inches tall, was carved by acclaimedInuitartist,LuktaQiatsuk. The couple acquired it,

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The Forester

The newsletter of the Residents’ Association of The Forest at Duke, Inc., 2701 Pickett Rd., Durham NC 27705. Published monthly except July,August,and Septemberbyandfortheresidents.

LisaCamel, Managing Editor

BethTimson, Copy Editor

DaveSloan, Layout Editor

LindaCushman&LouiseScribner, New-Resident Biographers

ElodieBentley&KenParker, Proofreaders

RichardEllmanandStephenKoff, Photographers

Catherine&SanfordBerg, Couriers

Authors,pleasesendsubmissionsto Forestermanager@iCloud.com

Forpicturesdocumentingactivitiesduring TFAD’ssummermonths,seetheonlineissueof The Forester (https://theforester.net).

In Memoriam

MusiaLakin

MaryAnnMorris

Richard“Bert”Alexander

ClintonHewitt

AnnInderbitzin

LoisFussell

Dr.JackHughes

JuneWhitaker

PaulMcBride

ScottHughes

Virginia“Ginny”Mullinix

AudreyFedyszyn

JakubowskiLazarus

June10,2025

June30,2025

August1,2025

August9,2025

August21,2025

August26,2025

August27,2025

August28,2025

September7,2025

September8,2025

LilaSinger September17,2025

President’s Podium

byJamesFreedman

Here it is October, and summer is already behind us. Fortunately, at our age it’s not back-to-school time. I hope you all have had a pleasant summer, whether it was here at The Forest, on a longdesired trip to complete your bucket list, or just a returntoatreasuredvacation/relaxationspot.

Temperatures were well above normal averagesformostofthesummer,andactivitieshere atTheForestwerealso“hot.”Therehasbeenalot happening since the last publication of The Forester inJune.Considerthefollowing:

• A posting of Resident Association activities monthly, occurring by the end of the week of thethirdMondayofthemonth,onbothCubigo and the RA website to provide rapid access to important issues the association is monitoring forresidents;

• AveryactivecalendarpresentedtousbyCommunityServices;

• The early move-in of The Terraces “Champions” to test the moving protocols in mid-September;

• The ribbon-cutting ceremony opening Level 2 of The Terraces to all residents occurred on Thursday,September4;

• Two separate Coffee and Communications were held in September by Nathan Summers ontheGeneralServicesandDiningplanstorespond to the increase in the population. Similarly, AprilRavelli held aC&Ctoanswer resident issues/questions on the impact of The Terraces opening. I hope you had an opportunity to attend those sessions. I went to all three and felt Nathan and April did a great job inholdinganopenandinformativesession;

• The2026budgetwasreleasedbytheTFADadministration, announcing a 4.3% increase in feesforthecomingyear anoutstandingjobin holdingcostsundercontrolwithfoodprice inflationandtheneedtopayourserviceemploy-

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alongwithInuitprints,inCanada.

Vivian was born in Shanghai. When she was nine years old her family moved to Taiwan and then to Hong Kong, before settling in the United States. Her family now owns a giftshop/galleryinParamus,NJ where the Kraineses acquired the exquisite and extremely rareivoryfigurinesintheircollection.

In 1990, Vivian and Davidwereinvitedtodemonstrate the then-new personal computers at a university in Shanghai. On that three-week trip, they toured Beijing, Hangzhou, Guilin, and Hong Kong, where they acquiredsomeofthetapestries, hangings, scrolls, and ivory carvings that are now in their apartment.

Owls

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The collection also includesgiftsfromDavid’sfamily. His mother gave them the painting of a black horse that seems to gallop out of its white background, and the spindly Don Quixote with the short and tubby Sancho Panza at his side were givenbyhisfather.

Their son Steve, who has one daughter, lives in Tokyo, and son Tom, who has two daughters, livesinPhiladelphia. Because it’s difficult for all the family to

have reunions in Durham, they compromised over the years by gathering, as David says, “halfway” in CaliforniaorHawaii.

Vivian and David have also collected works here at home. For years, they attended the annual DurhamArtFairwherethey’vefoundsomeoftheir favorites, including a lovely painting by Durham artist Diane Rodwell. My friend Hall Owl was also created here in Durham, sculpted of anodized aluminum by local artisans of VegaMetals. By the time the Kraineses were ready to move to The Forest in January 2024, their collection required major downsizing.Theirsons’familiesnowhavemanyof thesmallerpieces.Granddaughterssharedabouta dozenmembersoftheparliament,andadaughterin-law has several of the largest paintings. The Krainesesdonatedorsoldtherestofthecollection, keepingtheextra-specialonestotakeupresidence with them here at TFAD. “Having our art here makes us feel more at home,” Vivian says. David adds, “We wanted to take something home to rememberourexperiences,lestweforget.”

Now, every time they walk to their new home Whooo greets them, as well as anyone lucky enough to be passing by. It’s that inscrutable GuardianofKnowledge,HallOwl. ⸙

Ellen Baer)

DucksonBridge (photo by

President’s Podium

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eesalivingwageprovidingthecostpressures. Anita Holt held an Executive Update on September 10 to provide information on the process;

• The Health Center was formally recognized as The Cohen Center for Health on Friday, September 19. Comments on this were provided inthelastPodiumreport;

• Official move-in of 68 of the total 71 Terraces unitsisstartingearlythismonthandwillcontinue into November, commencing with the 5th floor and working down to the 2nd, with twounitsperdayforsixdaysaweek, untilall move-ins are completed. The Marketing CommitteehasworkedcloselywithMarketingand Sales to provide mentoring services, information about neighbors, and pertinent facts about The Forest and Durham to assist new residentsintheirabilitytoenjoythemanyservicesandadvantagesofTheForest. Thisbringsustothismonth.TheResidentAssociationMembershipMeetingwilloccuronMonday,October20.Atthatmeetingfiveexistingpositions will be vacated on the RA Board, and candidates will be presented for approval. A nominatingcommitteewasputinplaceinJunetoassureat leastonequalifiedcandidateperposition.Thishas been completed, and five outstanding candidates willbepresented.Iwouldliketoremindyouthat the committee was established to insure one candidateperopenposition. Thisdoesnot mean itis a “fait accompli.” Individuals themselves can still requestthattheybeconsideredforapositionand willbepresented(oralreadyhavebeen)with the opportunity to place their name on the ballot. I encourage all residents to attend that Oct 20 meeting. ⸙

Bluegrass Party, August 15

Watch band play:

Born to Care for Seniors

byElinorandJayWilliams

During all three of her jobs at TFAD, Ajia Rutherford is always helpful and warm. She joined the Dining Staff in February, 2023. She then added hours as a Companion in the Forest at Home program.Mostrecently,shejoinedtheCommunityLife staff.

Ajia is a Durham native, and most of her large, extended maternal family lives in Durham. She graduated from HillsideHighSchoolin2019andbeganatWinstonSalemStateUniversityasaNursingmajor.Unfortunately, the pandemic interrupted her education there. She transferred to North Carolina Central University where she switched her major to Social Work at the encouragement of a cousin who is a social worker. Ajia graduated this past fall with a BSW.SheisabouttobeginanonlineMSWprogram throughWaldenUniversitywithadvancedstanding that will allow her to graduate in one year while continuingtoworkatTFAD.

Working with seniors was a natural choice forAjia.Sheisclosetohergrandmotherandgreatgrandmother, both of whom live in Durham. She especially enjoyed learning to cook from them and spendingtimetogetherin thekitchen. Sheandher family have been active in the Ambassador Cathedral Church in East Durham and the Woodrow MoormanSeniorCenter,establishedbytheChurch inhonorofAjia'sgreat-grandfather.

Ajia is the oldest of five siblings, with the youngest being only three years old. She has her own home that she shares with her Shih Tzu.Inherfreetime, she enjoys cooking and shopping, especiallyforclothes. ⸙

Our TFAD Library: An Open Book (and More!)

byDianeStrauss

As October begins, summer vacations are just a memory, committee meetings have resumed, and folks have moved or are about to move into theirnewdigsinTheTerraces,whilethosealready here are beginning to learn their way around that addition to our campus. It’s TFAD’s version of a newschoolyear newfaces,newthingstoexperience, andnewthingstolearn. Asincominglibrarian, I feel very much like the new kid on the block, making the transition from working in large and well-staffed academic, public, and government librariestoone thattomeisunique.It’scompletely run by dedicated volunteers, features collections consisting primarily of resident donations, and is open24/7.Perfectforinsomniacs!

One of my responsibilities is contributing a monthly column to The Forester. I’m hoping that it willinform,entertain,andlureyoutothelibrary.If you’re a book person, know that we have a collection of some 4,500 titles, arranged by broad categories:Fiction,Mysteries,LargePrint,Biographies, NonfictionandNonprint.Inaddition,therearespecial collections that include resident biographies and resident-authored books. If you’re a news hound, drop in to peruse the current day’s edition of The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, the Raleigh News and Observer, or the Durham Herald Sun; settle into one of our comfortable easy chairs, and savor any covered beverage you bring in. BehindandleftoftheCirculationDeskarerackscontainingcirculatingDVDsandCDs.

If you’re a puzzler, look no further. (While verifying that “puzzler” is indeed a word, I came across a more impressive synonym: “dissectologist”).AsmostTFADdissectologistswill agree, we have puzzles aplenty but will gladly makeroomformore.Twoofthetablesintheback frequently are covered by puzzles of varying size and difficulty. People work singly or in groups whateveryourpreference, it’sagreatwaytomeet and get to know interesting people. Like most thingsinthelibrary,puzzlesalsocirculate.

ABUCKABOOK

Our budget for purchasing collection additionsismodest.Twiceayear,wesupplementitby holdingasaleofdonateditemsthatareduplicates, don’t fit our collection, or are otherwise deemed sellable. For just one dollar, you can buy a book, puzzle, or almost anything else, while CDs and DVDsareavailableforfiftycents.

Good news! On Wednesday, October 15, we’ll be holding our first sale of the yearin anew place and a different time than in the past. We’ll have tables in the CommunityCenterLobbyand be open for business from 11:00-2:00. We’re hoping this new arrangement will attract folks going to or coming from lunchandwon’tinterfere with other appointments. Cash only. Checks and credit cards are unacceptable, and our petty cash on hand isn’t sufficient to make change for bigbills.

MEETENOCH

I decided to add a logo to this column and settled on Enoch, the image above. Enoch was a gift to me from my late brother, to celebrate my becoming a librarian decades ago. Although its originisGerman,IdecidedtonamehimEnochnot only because he looks like an Enoch but also because my first post-graduation job was at the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore. I hope you likehim.

COMINGATTRACTIONS

Future library columns in The Forester will include how-to information, descriptions of recentacquisitions,solicitationsforadditionalvolunteers, news of special exhibits, and pleas for suggestions,complaints,compliments,andideas.It is your library! ⸙

Welcome New Residents

Dr. William (Bill) D. and Anne Bradford Apt.2037 919489-4937

Welcome to Bill and Anne, who have joined many friendsfromtheDukecommunityhereatTheForest since early in the summer. As distinguished members of the Hope Valley area, the Bradfords andtheireleganthomewererecentlywrittenupin Stroll Hope Valley, a magazine of much interest to not only their neighborhood but also the Durham communityatlargeandTheForest.

This summer Bill will have been with Duke Medical School for 60 years. A native of Rochester NY, he attended Deerfield Academy in Deerfield MA, and Amherst College from 1950 to 1954, majoring in chemistry and biology. His college interests included research in developmental biology, basketball, and lacrosse. His life’s vocation has beenmedicine pediatricpathology.

Bill’s tenure at Duke Medical School included serving as Associate Dean for Undergraduate Medical Education aswell as Professor of Pathology. He has served as President of the Society for PediatricPathologyandPresidentoftheDukeUniversity Medical Alumni Association and has producedoveronehundredwrittenandpublishedabstracts and scientific publications. He has also servedasFacultyChairofAthleticsfortheUniversityandasPresidentoftheACC.Hewasanelected memberoftheNCAACouncilaswell.Hehasserved

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Judith A. Modell (Judi) Apt.2033 410830-0688 jamodell@yahoo.com

A warm welcome to Judi, who moved from Baltimore to The Forest in June. She hails from Cleveland, attended Cleveland State University and received a BBA in Business Administration. After graduationshemarriedDon,hercollegeboyfriend. Judi taught business courses in a Columbus OH high school while her husband finished his undergraduateworkinChemicalEngineering.Afterthey moved,shetaughtinapublictechnicalhighschool inPainesvilleOH.

Judi and Don had three children: Heather, who lives in West Virginia, Christopher in Maryland, and Kendra here in Durham, and two grandchildren. Judi and Don also lived in Charleston WV, New Orleans, Albany NY, and then made their final move to Baltimore. In Maryland she worked for the Baltimore County Public Schools doing administrative work. Judi became a widow in2008.

Judi is enjoying the friendliness of The Forestandmakingnewfriendshere.Sheenjoysswimming,walking,reading(especiallymysteries),travellingandspendingtimewithherfamily,mostimportantlywatchingheryounggranddaughtergrow up. She enjoyed an adventurous “girls’ trip” with her daughter and granddaughter to Wyoming in June of this year, where they visited Jackson Hole andYellowstone.

JudihasalreadyjoinedTFADclassesinjewelry repair, flower arrangement, line dancing, and dance exercise, and looks forward to attending concertsandgoingtoareaperformances. ⸙

The Talk

byJoanSeiffert

The “talk” is a prominent subject in family life. It canmeanmanythings,thoughmostlatelyIassociateitwiththenecessaryfamilymessagesthatparents present to their teenagers about safety precautions of all sorts: alcohol, drugs, smoking, drivingorwalkingwhileBlack,crossingthestreet,and, maybeoflate,contraception.

For me it had something to do with dishwashing.

We did the dishes together every night after dinneratmyhouse,inthekitchenatthesinkwith adishpanofsoapywater,andfamilymembersfillingthevariousrolesfortheproject:washing,rinsing, drying, putting away, scrubbing the various pots and pans at the end of the job. I was drying this night, as I was considered too young at seven to handle slippery dishes without a dish towel, even though we didn’t have “the good china.” We hadanassortmentofjellyglassesandmismatched and chipped plates, bowls, cups and saucers, and the sharp and dangerous large grey carving knife, whichIfeared.

There were four of us. My older brother and I used to talk of our longing for a machine that would wash the dishes for us. But then, we would have missed what happened when one night I asked some kind of question that launched my father into a full-fledged, detailed answer explaining notthegentlemetaphoricalbirdsandbeesstoryof mammalian reproduction and not putting me off by saying “talk to your mother about this” but sexualintercourse..

The assembly line of dirty dishes did not stop, andneitherdidmyfather.Heused“real”words.It becamecleartomethatsexwasaverygoodthing, thewayheexplainedit,andcouldresultinababy. It could be enjoyable. That event did not include any precautions, rules, or warnings. He just answered the question. Rules and warnings just weren’tabigdealinmyhouse.

Now,myfatherwasanEpiscopalpriest,educatedatETS(theEpiscopalTheologicalSchool)which wasthenatHarvard.Hehadgrownupincoal-field countryinHazletonPA,wherehehadhadanearly job driving Sal, the reluctant mule pulling a cartload of coal. He was sure to add that it was hard

anthracitenotsoft bituminouscoal.ButSaldidn’t wanttopulleitherkindasitwasuphill,alongway tothetopandlightedonlydimly

Was mine an unusual family? Maybe everyone’s family is unusual. What happened next certainly is. Not long after this dishwashing episode, we all piled into our two-door 1938 Chevy and drovedowntowntopickoutnewdishes.Whenwe got home, my father and brother loaded the current dishes in our pantry into two laundry baskets.Wetookthemoutsidetoourbackyardwhere we had a garage with a wide cement strip at the endofthedriveway.

I don’t think I would have even now believed what happened next. We stood outside with the basketsofoldcrockeryandjellyglassesandthrew them at the garage door, piece by piece, being carefully keeping all the shards on the apron. My mother giggled. My brother worked on his curve ball.Ilovedit.Thenwesweptitallupandputitin canvas bags in the garbage. And my father took careofthecarvingknifehimself. ⸙

MoreheadPlanetarium,July13 (photos by Ellen Baer)

Welcome New Residents

Mary Ellen Adams

Apt.2046 (252)945-5928

maryellensadams@gmail.com

Born in Philadelphia, Mary Ellen’s parents soon movedthefamilytoRichmondVA,wherehertwo brothers were born. The family moved twice before settling in the Palm Beaches when she was eightyearsold. Followinghighschool,sheattendedtheUniversityofRichmond,receivingaBSBAin Economics.

Bradfords

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as President of the Durham YMCA and Trustee of the YMCA of the Triangle. Bill and Anne cochaired the Board of Visitors of the YMCA Camp SeaGullandCampSeafarer.

MaryEllenmetherhusbandRickAdamsat UR, and they were married in 1969. After she graduated,shejoinedhimattheArmybaseinBad Kreuznach,Germanywheretheylivedfortwoand a half years. Returningto the US, they settled on Long Island where Rick was employed in his family’s business. In 1978, the family business closed,andRickwasdiagnosedwithmultiplesclerosis which he lived with until his death in 2021. After his diagnosis, the family moved to GainesvillewhileMaryEllenobtainedherMAinMarketingfromtheUniversityofFlorida.Returningtothe Northeast, MaryEllenbegana20-yearcareer asa market research analyst while Rick pursued a career as a business entrepreneur. The family lived in Manhattan for two years before moving to Ridgefield CT. Those were busy years with work and school, boating and camping, and summers withextendedfamilyintheAdirondacks. In2000,thecouplebuiltahouseinBathNC wheretheylivedfor20yearsuntilmovingtoHillsborough in 2021 to be near their son Chris. Mary Ellen started a second career as an independent realestatebrokerwithherofficein Bath.Shewas theeditorofherchurchnewsletterandonseveral committees.

Anne and Bill have recently celebrated their64th weddinganniversary,havingmarriedin 1961 in Graham NC. Originally from Wilkinsburg PA, Anne grew up in Burlington NC and attended Randolph-Macon Women’s College in Lynchburg VA as a biology major. She worked in endocrine research at Lemuel Shattuck Hospital in Boston and in Undergraduate Admissions at Duke. She has been President of Durham Council of Garden Clubs, BoardChairofVolunteerCenterofGreater Durham,ChairoftheDurhamDebutanteBallSociety, and a Board member of the Elizabethan GardensinManteoandofTryonPalaceinNewBern. She is still a member of the Hope Valley Garden Club and Halcyon Book Club. Anne is listed in Who’s Who of American Women (2004) and received a Certificate of Appreciation in 1993 from then-NC Governor James Hunt for her Service in Volunteerism.

TheBradford’ssonScottlivesinLosAngelesandisaMusicLawAttorney,anddaughterLisalivesinMadisonCTandisaretiredEarlyChildhoodInterventionSpecialist.Thefamilyalsocomprisesfourgrandchildren.

Bill enjoys basketball and lacrosse and timewithfamilyandfriends;andAnne,anaccomplished painter, also enjoys cooking, sewing and tennis.AtTheForestshelooksforwardtojoining exerciseclassesandenjoyingourmanyprograms, and Bill mentions tai-chi and balance classes as intereststoexplore. ⸙

MaryEllenhastwosons:Chriswholivesin ChapelHillwithhiswife,Irina,andtheirson,Matthew,whowillbeattendingBrandeisthisfall;and Justin who is unmarried and lives in Ho Chi Minh City,Vietnam.MaryEllen’sinterestsincludegenealogy, history, reading, OLLI classes, water exerciseandyoga. ⸙

Welcome New Residents

Isaac Levy

Apt.4050 984-335-3175

tatilupi07@gmail.com

A warm welcome to Isaac Levy who comes to us from Durham. Isaac was born and raised in Bueno Aires,Argentina,whereheattendedasix-yeartechnical school training to be a tool and die maker, a career which became his life’s work. Isaac, and his wife, Rose, with their two older children moved to Chicagoin1963tobenearRose’sparentswhoprecededthemthere.QuicklyIsaacfoundemployment as a tool and die maker at Decimal Tools where he stayed for about a year before leaving for a job offeringbetterpayandbenefits.

Rhoda Silver Apt.2001 (919)724-0610

Silver.Rhoda29@gmail.com

We welcome Rhoda Silver who comes to us from Durham.RhodahaslivedinDurhamsince1980,pursuing her career in social work through a variety of jobs which included working at the UNC Center for AgingandatDukeonaresearchgrant.

In 1967, Isaac and Rose welcomed their daughter Susann before moving to Los Angeles for two years and then returning to Chicago, preferring it toLosAngeles.Alsoof note, while working as atool anddiemaker in Chicago, Isaac had a part-time job as a licensed real estate agent fortenyears.In1980,thefamilymovedtoOrlando FLfor14yearsbeforemovingtoFortLauderdalein ordertobeclosertotheirgrandchildrenandtoobtain better employment. Rose was a homemaker while the three children were young and later worked in the mortgage department of a bank. In 2001, when Isaac retired from employment as a tool and die maker for Cardinal Health Company, the couple moved to Durham to be near their daughter and her children. They were married 63 yearsuntilRose’sdeathoneandahalfyearsago.

Isaac has three children: Carlos Levy, DO, a family practice doctor in Weston Fl; Marcelo Levy, retired and living in Durham; and Susann Clifford, MD,AssistantProfessorofObstetricsandGynecologyatDukeUniversity.

Isaac is of the Jewish faith. For entertainment he enjoys puzzles, sports, gardening, and chess. At The Forest he is hoping to find a chess partner and other residents who enjoy speaking Spanish. ⸙

A native of Chicago, Rhoda was educated at the University of Wisconsin, receiving aBSinPoliticalScience in 1964. Following brief employment as a social worker in Chicago,CookCounty,Rhoda began classes at the University of Michigan School of Social Work in January 1965. She left school briefly to join the civil rights movement in MontgomeryAL,returningtoMichiganlaterin1965 to complete the semester but not her degree. Next, she moved to New York to work as a social worker fortheDepartmentofChildren’sServicesinBedford Stuyvesant.AftertwoyearsinNewYork,shewentto South America to join her sister for travel. Rhoda’s desire to travel the world has always been with her even today as she looks forward to a trip this fall.

Following her travels in South America, Rhoda moved to Los Angeles where her parents were living. In California, she taught school for a year prior to working as a social worker for three years.AtthistimeRhodadecideditwouldbebeneficial to complete her Master of Social Work degree, which she did in 1972 at Rutgers University. With her new degree in hand, she worked as a social worker in London and in the Bay Area of California beforemovingtoDurham.

Past volunteer activities include working at Urban Ministries ofDurham and at the Jewish Community Center. Currently she volunteers at Beth El Synagogue. She has been a member of the National Association of Social Workers and she is a member ofCarolinaJewsforJustice. Rhoda’s interests are reading, gardening, walking,politics,andtravel ⸙

And the Question is ...

byPhilBaer

DoyouremembertheJohnnyCarsonskitsinwhich he played the character Carnac the Magnificent? He would take an envelope from Ed McMahon, hold it unopened to his head, and divine the answer. Then he would open the envelope and read the funny question on the enclosed card. Well, I haveavariationonthat,anditbeginswiththisanswer: 6439. That’s right, 6439, which implies the question would ask about that many somethings. So you probably got that, but for full credit you have to get the hard part: what are the somethings?

Give up? Okay, here’s a hint. They’reoutdoors.Needanother?Okay, they’rearoundtheTerraces.Allright,I sawahandgoup, andtheshoutedansweriscorrect.Thequestionforwhich 6439 is the answer is: How many plants are being planted around the Terraces?

No, I don’t think that’s a funny question and I know it wouldn’t make the cut in Johnny’s writers’ room, but focusontheveryimpressiveanswer 6439 new plants placed around the newest building on our already lush campus.Andevenifyousubtractthe2406monkey grassplants,you’vestillgot4033,andthat’sanimpressivenumber.

insects lay eggs and their larval offspring feed on the leaves. To put that in a campus context, our Pollinator Garden has 40 species of native plants, and only four plants are common to both lists: bluedogbane,JoePyeweed,coneflower,andlittle bluestemgrass.

The new plants came from about 20 different nurseries, thegreatmajorityfrom North Carolina, andsomefromNewJersey,Maryland,SouthCarolina,andGeorgia,whichmusthavebeenasupplychain, logisticalchallengetocoordinate. Examples includetrees:oaksandfringetrees, redbuds,cedar,magnolias,andelm; many shrubs: azaleas, beautyberry, sweet shrub, witch alder, oakleaf hydrangea, and possumhaw viburnum; and grasses and ground covers: little bluestem grass, switchgrass,androseverbena.

Well, okay, you may be saying, that’s a lot of plants, but I’m really into variety, so how many kinds of plants are there? There are 108 species belonging to 61 genera, or genuses, that’s allowable,butdefinitelynot geniuses;andnomatterhow youbreakdownthenumber,that’salotofvariety. All right, granted, that’s a lot of plants and a lot of varieties, but how about beauty, and especially flowers? You’ll be very pleased to hear that 92 of the 108 species will be blooming successes, from earlyspringthroughsummerandintolatefall.

But here’s my favorite part, and I can’t believe no one asked, 50 of the 108 species are native plants that support beneficial insects, birds, and small mammals, providing food in the form of nectar, pollen,andseeds,andactingashostplants,where

The planting of so many new native plants on campus provides us an opportunity, a laboratory, an experiment,achancetolearnabout plants that are both beautiful and beneficial. Over the next couple of years, I hope to locate and identify all108species,tofigureoutwhichiswhich,andI would really appreciate help with that project. I amfarfromanexpert,barelyaninformedenthusiast, being totally dependent on the copy of the Ruppert Landscape: Plant Material Source and Supply thatIgotfromahelpfulfellowintheconstruction trailers, the trusty Pl@ntNet app on my phone, and the NC State Extension website (https://www.ces.ncsu.edu/).

My long-term goal or ours, if you join me is to see which native plants do well on our campus,tohelpresidentslearnaboutandappreciatethebeautyandbenefitsofnativeplantgardening,andultimatelytoencourageagradualreplacement of non-native with native plants on campus. If you want to be part of a radical residentinitiated project, here’s your chance, and for you early joiners, maybe you’ll even get to name the group. ⸙

Centenarians at the Forest: Shirley Sukonick

byDeborahTunstallTippett

Prior to my moving to the Forest, Shirley Sukonick called me monthly to try to talk me into taking mahjong classes with her. I was excited to meet Shirley and hear about her love of games. She asked me if I had grown up with games in the houseandtoldmethatherhousewasalwaysfilled with games and laughter. When I moved in, I took mahjong lessons with Donna Goldstein and found Shirley to be a fierce competitor who loved a challenge, especially if there was betting involved. It was not surprising that when she turned 100 she opted for a trip with her sister to a casino as opposedtoabigparty.

Shirley was born on June 7, 1924 to Louis and Lena Rubin in Norfolk VA. She was the middle of threechildren,anolderbrotherLeroyandayounger sister Ramona. Her parents had immigrated from Latvia; and while they learned to speak English,theyhaddifficultyreadingandwritingthenew language. However, they got the Times magazine every week because that is what Americans did. Louis was often asked to write letters to the “old country”ineitherHebreworYiddish.

During the difficult times of food shortages during the Great Depression and WWII, Shirley remembered thatherfamily always had things to eat because her parents owned and operated a grocery store. Her mother had a strong grasp of numbers and kept the books and even supervisedthebuildingoftheirhouse.

Shirley was a teenagerduring WWII and reminisces fondly about the exciting times she had dancing with the sailors at the USO club. Her father’s Lodge provided the dance hall, and Shirley and her friends danced every night with sailors from the Norfolk Naval Base. She recalls that she lost a dear cousin to the war and acknowledges that while it was hard for many, it was a fun time inherlife.

After high school, Shirley attended the Keys Business College and studied the comptometer, which was one of the first adding machines used bymanybusinesses.Afterhergraduation,shekept books for Hofheimer’s Shoe Store, a leading chain on the East coast. Her career ended after Oscar Coplon, who was working under a car, spotted Shirley’sbeautifullegsandinstantlywantedtosee therestofher.TheymarriedandmovedtoBlacksburgVAwhereheattendedcollegeatVirginiaPolytechnic Institute (now Virginia Tech) to receive his undergraduate and graduate degrees in engineering.In1949,theyhadadaughter,Claudia.

In 1952, Oscar joined 29,000 other employees to open the Savannah River Plant operated by the Dupont corporation in Aiken SC. Being one of the fewJewishfamiliesinAikengavethemtheopportunity to make close friends with people from all religions,thoughOscarandShirleywerealsovery active in the synagogue. While in Aiken, they had Marshain1954.

Both daughters Claudia and Marsha said their house was the one where all their friends wanted to go because their parents were so much fun. In fact, when they started dating, they learned that they had to be on time or else they would never leave the house. Their dates loved to talk with their parents and were always roped in to play various games. The daughters later learned that their friends had often called their parents in emergencies.

The Coplon house was full of laughter with gamesplayedallthetime,evenatmealtimes.Marsha recalled that the neighborhood gave them the freedomtoplay safely. Oneneighborhadachoco-

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Shirley doing her patriotic duty by dancing with sailors at the USO Club in Norfolk, VA

Shirley Sukonick

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late addiction and kept her chocolate in the Coplon’s pantry. Onsome occasions, Shirleywould wake in the middle of the night to hear the front dooropenandthenfootstepstothekitchenwhere the pantry would open. She would smile and go backtosleep.

Shirley became very active in the community, volunteering at various organizations including the Red Cross, the League of Women Voters, and numerous school groups. She worked the polls and generallycancelledoutOscar’svote by voting the opposing ticket. Her parents, according to Marsha, taught them that they needed to earn the air that they breathe by giving back to the world. Claudia said that they encouraged them to be the best that they could be and to know that they were always loved.

I met with Shirley and her daughters for this article, and they couldnotwaittotellmeabouttheir car. Oscar bought a car, made by theCheckerCabCompanyforfamilies, called theSuperba. It was supposed to be the safest of all cars, andithadthesamebuildasthefamous cab. Oscar and Marsha loved the car, while Shirley and Claudia detestedit.Itwassturdyandhada large floor area where Marsha couldsleep ontwo innertubesand asleepingbagonlongtrips.Claudia hated the appearance, and Shirley disliked driving it. She could never get the second geartowork,sothecarfrequentlystoppedonher. She learned to just leave it on theside of the road, and one of their friends would spot it and drive it home.

Shirleyhadbeenonmoredatesthanbothofthem combined. Shewasonceinvitedtoadinnerparty at which the hosts invited one single man and threesinglewomen.Shirleywonthatgame,andin 2001, at the age of 75, she married Bennett Sukonick who was with the Foreign Intelligence Office. They had a wonderful marriage until he passed awaytenyearslater.

In 2017, Shirley moved to TheForestatDuketobenear her two daughters. She had putinapplicationstomultiple CCRCs and first selected one inRaleigh.Shesignedthecontract and paid the deposit. To celebrate, Claudia suggested that she have dinner there with some of the residents. When Claudia picked her up, Shirley was not smiling when she said, “These are not my people.” Fortunately for us, TheForesthadaspotandshe moved here and found her people!

When asked about the secret to her successful aging, Shirley said that she had an unclewholivedtobe106and was still mowing his own lawn. She said that she had alwaysbeenactive,bothmentally and physically, and enjoys a martini every night. On a recent phone call to Claudia, Shirley closed by saying, “I have to hang up to watch another Ted Talk so I have something interesting to discuss at dinner tonight.”

Sadly, Oscar passed away in 1972 at the age of 57. Twoyearslater,ShirleyrelocatedtoRichmond to be closer to family. While in Richmond, Shirley was a popular date. In fact, her girls admitted that

I would suggest that Shirley is interesting without the aid of a Ted Talk, because she is so curiousandinterestedinothers.Hersenseofhumor, kindness to others, positive outlook, and warm personality have certainly made her own lifefullandinteresting. ⸙

Shirleyat100,stilldancingwithDavid Therrell,aballroomdanceteacher

A Visit to Pauli Murray’s Childhood Home

byEllenBaer

In 1898, a free Black man from Delaware named Robert Fitzgerald, a teacher and a veteran of the CivilWar,andhiswifeCornelia,awomanborninto slavery in North Carolina, built a house in Durham.Itwasonanacreoflandthatabuttedthe MaplewoodCemetery,andtheviewfromtheback of the house was (andstill is) of gravestones. The house is thechildhood home of Pauli Murraywho wassenttoDurhamfromBaltimoreasafour-year -oldtolivewithherauntandhermaternalgrandparentsafterthedeathsofherparents.

Startingaboutageseven,Pauliwouldbegin thedayreadingthenewspapertohergrandfather whosevisionwasimpairedafterabattlefieldinjury. No doubt her grandparents’ emphasis on the importance of reading and writing, plus a daily doseofnewsandatleastweeklyattendanceatthe Episcopal church where Aunt Pauline sang in the choir,allmotivatedhertobecomethekindofperson whose childhood home has become a site of historicalsignificance.

One of the people on a recent tour to the Pauli Murray house arranged by Community Life said it was rather exhausting to think about how much she accomplished. Exhausting and inspiring.

TheRev.Dr.PauliMurray(1910-1985)wasan author, poet, teacher, legal scholar, civil rights activist, co-founder of the National Organization for Women (NOW), and the first African American woman to become an ordained Episcopal priest. It’s interesting to note that as a newly-ordained priest she celebrated the Eucharist for the first timeintheverysameChapelHillchurchwhereher enslaved grandmother had been baptized as a child. In her Bible that day was a bookmark given to her by Eleanor Roosevelt but the remarkable relationship of those two women is a story for anotherday.

The one-hour house tour is impressive to visitorswhethertheyarriveknowingalotornothingatallaboutMurray’sremarkablelife.Thecombinationofphotographs,facts,quotations,andartworktellsastoryofresilienceanddiscoverythatis enhanced by a knowledgeable guide who provides contextandencouragesquestions.

ThePauliMurrayCenterforHistoryandSocialJusticeopenedtothepublicinSeptember2024 with a festive outdoor event that featured music,

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Pauli Murray Home

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storytelling, and a theatrical performance on the frontporch.Thehouseitself,havingbeendesignatedaNationalTreasurein2015andaNationalHistoricLandmarkin2016,wasclosedatthetimefor continuinginteriorrestoration.Nowthatthemulti -year construction project is complete and the house is open to visitors, it’s unfortunate that many of the Center’s plans (like a new exhibition and the development of a curriculum for eighth graders)havebeencanceledduetotherecenttermination of a federal grant. Staff members and boardmembersareboundtobedisheartened,but they do have a good example of courage and endurancetofollow.

InMurray’sownwords:

• “AsanAmerican,Iinheritthemagnificenttraditionofanendlessmarchtowardfreedom.”

• “Whatisoftencalledexceptionalabilityisnothingmorethanpersistentendeavor.”

• “Trueemancipationliesintheacceptanceof

thewholepast,inderivingstrengthsfromall myroots.”

The house is an educational institution ratherthanamuseumandsocontainsonlyonetrue artifact: Pauli’s typewriter. For more information, ourTFADLibraryhasabookofthesurprisingcorrespondence between Pauli Murray and Eleanor Roosevelttitled“TheFirebrandandtheFirstLady: PortraitofaFriendship”byPatriciaBell-Scott.. ⸙

(Photos by Ellen Baer)

Seasons in the Vineyard

bySharonDexterandBethTimson

Many of us in TFAD like a nice glass of wine, but one TFAD resident spent years up close and personal with a vineyard. Sharon Dexter recalls that her husband David always loved growing things (thoughhiscareerwasintheworldofcomputers), and she laughs as she recounts his delighted realization that some of their Italian neighbors were bringing in fresh wine grapes from California to theirhomesinNewJersey.Afterusingthesegrapes tomakeasmallamountofhomemadewine,hedetermined to grow his own, and that started their futurejourneywithgrapes.

The Dexters had a small vineyard, only one half acre, at a home in Michigan, butthey got seriouswhentheymovedfurthersouth. Afterlooking for suitable land for several years, in 1999 they bought a 36-acre property in Nelson County, VA a few miles from the Blue Ridge Parkway, named it the Hat Creek Vineyard, and began to plant vines in 2000 on seven acres of the property. They built a house on what

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The vines stretch out and begin to fill in the trellises Spring, and the flowers start appearing on the vines

Welcome New Resident

Marylou Anderson

Apt.3043 919-638-4817 marylouisea35@gmail.com

A warm welcome to Marylou Anderson who comes to us from Durham. Marylou was raised in Philadelphia and attended Bennett College in MillbrookNYforoneyearbeforeleavingtomarry Larz Kennedy Anderson in 1958. The couple moved several times during their marriage while Larz pursued a successful career as an educator. Uponhisretirementin1997,theymovedtoFearrington,havingbecomefamiliarwithNorthCarolina where two of their children attended college. The Andersons lived at The Cedars from 2004 to 2007 when they divorced. At that time Marylou moved to Durham and Larz to Texas, where he diedin2020.

In addition to being the mother of four children, Marylouworked atSt. Mark’sSchoolin Dallasasamiddle-school secretaryandat TheHockaday School in Dallas as assistant to the head of the Boarding Department. Her volunteer work includes driving for the Red Cross and also driving people to vote. Other volunteer work includes MealsonWheelsandtutoringchildren.Forentertainment she enjoys knitting, reading, traveling and bird watching. When her family was young,

ATouchofBrass,July14 (photos by Ajia Rutherford)

shelikedtowritechildren’sstoriesforthem.

Marylouisclosetoherchildrenandhergrandchildren. Her daughter, Cate Jarrett, a retired realtor, lives in Hilton Head with her husband, Gregg Jarrett, who works for Fox News. They have two daughters.Marylou’sdaughter,CareyCiolfilivesin Dallas where she is employed as a manager for a largecompany.Careyhastwodaughtersandason. Her oldest daughter is the Poet Laureate of Dallas. Marylou’sson,NickAndersonlivesinDurhamand has one daughter, Sydney, who works for the National Wildlife Foundation. Marylou’s oldest son, LarzAnderson,diedatage33duringtheAIDSepidemic. He was a chartered financial analyst for BaronCapital.

You may see Marylou around The Forest with herlittleblackandwhitedogPintowhoenjoysonleashwalks. ⸙

Vineyard

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had been farmland, and a wine expert from Charlottesville helped design the vineyard layout for maximumsunexposure.WhileDavidtookresponsibility as the primary viticulturist, Sharon commuted to a job with LEXIS/NEXIS in Charlottesville; both contributed to the many activities requiredtosupportthevineyardproductionyear.

The Hat Creek Vineyard grew seven varieties: Gewurtztraminer, Petit Verdot, Tannat, Traminette,CabernetFranc,PinotGris,andVidalwine grapesaswellastablegrapesforeating.Thevarietieswould ripen at different timesduring the harvest season, but the rituals of the vineyard year weresimilarforallofthem.

ous neighboring vineyards; she says that the crew theyusedcouldharvestmorethananacreperday. The Dexters would always keep some grapes to make their own wine for home consumption and selltherestoftheircroptowineriesinthearea.

Spring would bringoutthefirstnew growth and flower shootsonthevines,so eachwouldneedtobe pruned and then spreadoutonthetrellis for maximum sun and air exposure. As the nascent grape clusters emerged on the vines, the laboriousprocessofspreadingnetsoverthevineyard would begin to protect the fruit from hungry birds. During the warm (and often humid) summers of Virginia, the focus shifted to protecting the growing grapes from insect and mold damage. Late summer and early fall meant a time of watching theweatherforecastcloselyandhopingthatrough weather likeaseasonalhurricane wouldn’t ruintheripeningcrop.

FinallylateSeptemberandOctoberbrought the harvest. The irregular and hilly landscape of the vineyard meant that the netting had to be removed by hand and the grapes picked by hand. Sharonrecallstheregularcrewsthatcameintothe area each fall to work their way through the vari-

After November came the dormant season forthegrapevinesandatimeofrestforthegrowers. The site elevation in the foothills of the Blue Ridge meant several inches of snow each winter. Sharon and her husband combined vacations in thisoff-seasonwithvineyard research,sotripsincludedvisitstoviticulturistsinnorthernItaly,California,Oregon,andWashington. After her husband’s death in 2016, Sharon sold the vineyard and moved to North Carolina to beclosertofamily.Butshehasawealthofmemories, a lot of beautiful pictures, and a palate for winefromtheseyearsinthevineyard. ⸙